Planter.



PATENTED JULY 25, 1905. M. PBARSON.

PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED IEB. 1. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 gnou/13045,

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lll hn Gl/qwfmeoac o No. 795,302. PATENTED JULY 25, 1905. M. PEARSUN.

PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED 1113.1. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1905.

Application filed February 1, 1905. Serial No. 243,680.

T a/Z whom, it Darty concern:

Be it known that I, MARCUS PEARSON, acitizen of the United States,residing' at Springville, in the county of St. Clair and State ofAlabama, have invented a new and useful Planter, of which the followingis a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in planters.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofplanters and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive onedesigned for planting vario'us kinds of seed and adapted to distributefertilizer into the seed-tube simultaneously with the discharge of theseed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a planter of thischaracter from which the hopper may be readily removed to permitdifferent kinds of hoppers to be employed.

Another object of the invention is to enable the seed-ejecting means tobe arranged exteriorly of the hopper, so that the contents thereof willnot interfere with the operation of the ejecting' means.

lith these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschang'es in the form, proportion, size, and minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a4 planterconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe frame of the planter, the hopper being removed. Fig. 3 is anenlarged plan view of the hopper. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional viewof the same. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 5 5 ofFig. Fig. 6 is a similar view on the line 6 6 of Fig.l 3. Fig. 7 is anenlarged horizontal sectional view of a portion of the hopper,illustrating' the manner of mounting' the seed-ejecting lever. Fig. 8 isa detail perspective view of the bottom of the hopper. Fig. 9 is adetail View of the expansible portion of the clutch-operating' lever andthe stop which is engaged by the same. Fig. 10 is a detail viewillustrating the construction of the clutch.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawlngs.

1 1 designate side beams, consisting, preferably, of metal bars, havingtheir front portions 2 extending inwardly at an ang'le and secured tothe front portions of a pair of central beams 3. The side beams in rearof the converging front portions 2 are parallel and are connected at therear end of the main frame of the planter by means of upper and lowertransverse bars 4 and 5. The central beams or bars 3, which areparallel, are spaced apart at their front ends by a filling block orpiece 6, of wood or other suitable material, the front portions of thecentral beams or bars 3 and the filling-piece being' curved forwardlyand upwardly to provide a central tongue or draft portion 7. rJhe tongueportion 7 is provided at the front with a suitable clevis 8 for theattachment of a draft-animal. The rear ends of the central beams or barsare spaced apart by a block 9, which is -secured to the central bars orbeams by a transverse bolt or other suitable fastening device. The block9 is also secured to the transverse bars 4 and 5 by a vertical bolt 10.The lower transverse bar is formed integral with vertical sides 11, ofan arch or support which is provided with a horizontal topconnecting-bar l2. r1`he support consists of a substantially rectangularframe, which is composed of the said sides or bars 11 and the top andbottom bars 12 and 5. The transverse bar 11, which is located above andspaced from the bar 5, has its terminals bent upwardly at right anglesand secured to the inner faces of the sid es 11 by bolts or otherfastening devices. rlhe spaced transverse bars 4 and 5 receive the rearends of the central and transverse beams, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings. The side beams 1 are provided at their rear portions withshort bars or pieces 13, having their front ends bent at an angle andsecu red by bolts 14 or other suitable fastening devices to the sidebeams. The spacing' blocks or pieces 15 and 16, which are interposedbetween the side beams and the rear longitudinal bars 13, 'are securedto the same by transverse bolts, as shown. The front blocks`15 receivebolts 17 for securing standards 18 to the main frame of the planter, andthe rear blocks 16 are pierced by the bolts 19, which secure the sidebeams to the transverse bars L and 5. The standards 18 are provided withsuitable cultivating blades or shovels 20; but instead of employing thestandards 18 and the cultivating blades or shovels 20 covering-blades ofany desired construction may be employed. Such covering-blades may besecured to the main frame at the short bars or pieces 13 by thetransverse bolts, which pierce the front blocks or pieces 15. Thesecultivating-blades may be of any desired construction and may be securedto the rear portion of the main frame at the sides thereof in anysuitable manner. The main frame is provided with inclined handle-bars21, which are secured to the side beams near the front portions thereofand to the said arch or support, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings.

A hopper 22 is detachably mounted on the main frame of the planter bymeans of front and rear bolts 23 and 24, which pierce a bedplate 25,upon which the hopper is mounted. The front and rear bolts extendthrough the space between the central beams or bars 3 and engageclip-plates 26, which span the space between the bars 3 and engage thelower edges thereof. By removing the bolts 23 and 24 the bed-plate andthe superimposed hopper may be detached to permit another form of hopperto be applied to the frame. The bed-plate is preferably constructed ofwood, and the superimposed hopper is spaced therefrom by vertical postsor sleeves 27 and 28, located at the front and back of the hopper andpreferably tapered inwardly at the ends similar to an ordinary spool andhaving central bores or openings for the reception of bolts 29 and 30.The bolts 29 and 30, which are provided at their lower ends with nuts,extend, respectively, through the bottom 31 of the hopper and throughproject ing ears 32. The ears 32, which are formed integral with thebottom 31 of the hopper, extend rearwardly therefrom, the bolts 29 beinglocated at the front of the hopper, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6.The hopper, which has an inclined front wall 33, is divided into twocompartments 34 and 35 by a longitudinal partition 36. The partition 36is provided at its front and back with angularlybent flanges littedagainst the front and rear walls of the hopper and suitably secured tothe saine. The bottom 31 of the hopper is provided with anupwardly-extending marginal rib or 'flange 37, arranged at the front,back, and sides and receiving the lower edges of the walls of thehopper. The body of the hopper is held against lateral and longitudinalmovement by being arranged within the marginal Hanges, and it is securedto the bottom by front and rear L-shaped plates 38 and 39, secured tothe front and rear walls and having horizontal portions provided withperforations for the reception of the front and rear bolts 29 and 30.

The bottom 31 of the hopper is provided at opposite sides of the medianline with circular depressions 40 and 41, forming seats or bearings forfeed disks or wheels 42 and 43. The feed-disk 42 is provided atintervals with apertures 44, which may be of any desired size to suitthe character of the seed to be planted and which are preferablycircular, as shown. The other feed-disk 43 is provided with peripheralteeth 45, spaced apart to form recesses for the reception of fertilizer,which is discharged into a seed-spout 46 simultaneously with thedischarge of the seed. The feed-disks are arranged on vertical shafts orspindles 47, on which are also mounted sleeves 48, having enlargementsor flanges which fit against the upper faces of the feed-disks and whichare provided with opposite lugs 49 for engaging perforations 50 of thesaid disks. The sleeves are fixed to the vertical shafts 47 byhorizontal bolts 51, which pierce the sleeves and the shafts above thesaid enlargements or anges. The seed-spout, which is secured to theupper face of the bed-plate, is interposed between the same and thehopper-bottom 31, which is provided with outlets 52 and 53, locatedabove the spout 46. The rear wall of the hopper is provided with anexterior recess or cavity 54,formed by cutting away the rear wall abovethe bottom of the hopper and arranging plates 55 and 56 at the innerface of the said rear wall. The plates, which are located at oppositesides of the partition, have inclined top portions and angular sideportions. l/Vithin the exterior cavity formed by the inwardly# extendingplates is arranged a horizontallydisposed seed-ejecting lever 57,pivoted at its outer end by a rivet 58 or other suitable fasteningdevice between a pair of perforated ears 59 and provided at its innerend with a spindle receiving a rotary disk or roller 60. The rotary diskor roller 60, which is retained on the spindle portion of the lever by anut or other suitable fastening device, is located above the depressionor bearing-recess 40 of the bottom of the hopper and is adapted tosuccessively drop into the seed-openings of the feed-disk, whereby thecontents thereof are positively ejected into the spout 46. The feed-disk42 is engaged by a brush 61, suitably secured to the rear wall of thehopper by a bolt 62 and adapted to prevent the feed-disk from becomingclogged. A scraper-blade 63 is secured to the plate 56 by means of abolt 64, which is arranged in a slot 65 of the said plate 56, wherebythe scraper-blade is capable of adjustment with relation to the disk orwheel for feeding the fertilizer.

The bed-plate is provided with an opening 66, arranged beneath the tubeor spout 46, and located above a seed tube or shoe 67, to which issecured a furrow-opening blade 68. T he seed tube or shoe, which isprovided with an opening or passage 69, is secured between the centralbars or beams 3 by transverse bolts or other suitable fastening'devices. Y

' The lowe'r ends of the vertical shafts or spindles -17 have keyed orotherwise secured to them horizontal gear wheels 70, which mesh withvertical pinions 71 of a transverse shaft 72, journaled in suitablebearings 73 and carrying a sprocketwheel 74. The sprocket-wheel 7 -I islocated at one end of the shaft and is connected bya sprocket-chain 75with a sprocket pinion or wheel 76 of a shaft or axle 77. The shaft oraxle 77 is journaled in suitable bearings 78 and 79 and extends fromopposite sides of a wheel 80, which supports the front of the planter.The wheel 8O is located between the front portions of the central barsor beams 3, and the bearings 78 and 79 are secured to the said bars orbeams at the outer faces thereof. The front sprocketwheel, which isslidably mounted on the shaft or axle 77, is yieldably held inengagement with a pin or key 81 by a coiled spring 82, located at theouter side of the sprocketwheel and interposed between the same and asuitable stop 83. rIhe hub of the front sprocket-wheel is provided atits inner end with notches 84C, forming a clutch-face and adapted toreceive the pin or key 81, whereby the sprocket-wheel is inter-lockedwith the axle. Four notches are preferably provided, so that the partswill interlock quickly when free to do so.

The clutch is operated by means of a lever 85, fulcrumed between itsends on a bolt 86, which passes through a plate 87, secured to andextending laterally from the central longitudinal bars or beams 3, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. preferablyconsists ofastrip of metal doubled to form a front loop 88 for the reception of thehub of the front sprocket-wheel, and the rear portions 89 and 90 arespaced apart and are arranged between the transverse bars L and 5. rIhetransverse bar/1 is provided with a shoulder 91, consisting of a blockor piece bolted or otherwise secured to the lower face of the bar 4 andadapted to be engaged by the rear arm of the clutch-operating lever. Theblock or piece is preferably beveled at the outer side to enable therear arm of the clutchoperating lever to be readily engaged with theshoulder by simply forcing the arm inwardly toward the center of theframe. The lever is held in engagement with the shoulder by means of acoiled spring 92, interposed between the portions 89 and 9() of thelever, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The spaced bars iLand5 form guiding means for the expansible portions of the rear arm of theclutch-operating lever. I/Vhen it is desired to throw the frontsprocket-wheel into engagement with the pin or key of the shaft or axle77, the upper portion 89 of the rear arm of the lever 85 is depressed bythe toe of the person working the machine, and the spring 82 will swingthe lever laterally. Then the front sprocket-wheel is interlocked Thelever with the shaft or axle of the wheel 80, rotary motion iscommunicatedfrom the said wheel 80 by the sprocket-gearing to thetransverse shaft and by the gears 70 and 71 to the feed disks or wheels.The feeding mechanism may be readily thrown out of operation by theclutch-operating lever. When it is not desired to distribute fertilizerwith the seed, a single hopper having only seed-feeding mechanism may besubstituted for the double hopper shown. The hopper shown is designedfor planting corn, peas, sorghum-seed, and the like, but a hopper of theusual construction for planting cotton may be substituted for that shownin the drawings.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A planter of the class described, comprising a main frame providedwith spaced central longitudinal beams, and having sidel beams alsospaced from the central beam and connected with the same, a hopper.mounted on the frame and provided with feed mechanism, a seed tube orshoe secured between and depending from the central beams, a wheelsupporting the front of the frame and mounted between the central beams,and means for communicating motion from the wheel to the feed mechanismof the hopper.

2. In a planter, the combination of central longitudinal beams, sidebeams spaced from the central beams and having their front ends bentinwardly and secured to the same, an upstauding frame or supportprovided at the bottom with spaced transverse bars receivingl the rearends of the central and side beams, and handles secured to the sidebeams and to the sides of the upstanding frame or support.

3. In a planter, the combination of a main frame composed of central andside beams connected at their front ends, an upstand ing frame orsupport connecting the rear ends of the central and side beams,handle-bars secured to the side beams and to the frame or support atopposite sides thereof, rear side bars or pieces secured to and arrangedin spaced relation with the rear portions of the side beams, andspacing-blocks mounted between the side beams and the said bars orpieces.

1I. In a planter, the combination of a main frame having spaced sidebeams, rear side bars arranged in spaced relation with the rear portionsof the side beams and having their front ends secured to the same,spacing-blocks interposed between the side beams and the rear side barsor pieces, and transverse fastening devices piercing the said parts andsecuring the same together.

5. In a planter', the combination of a main frame having spaced centraland side beams, a hopper provided with feed mechanism, a wheelsupporting the front portion of the planter, gearing connecting thewheel with the feed mechanism of the hopper, said gearmail:

ing' located within the frame and having a clutch, a longitudinal leverarranged in one of the spaces between the central and side beams andfulerumed between its ends on the frame and connected at its frontportion with the clutch and adapted to be oscillated to throw thegearing' out of operation, and means for locking' the lever to hold thegearing out of operation.

6. In a planter', the combination of a main frame, a hopperhaving' feedmechanism, gearing' for operating' the feed mechanism, said gearing'including a clutch and a longitudinally-disposed laterally-movableclutch-operating lever provided with an expansible rear arm arranged toengage the frame for locking' the lever against movement.

7. In a planter, the combination of a main frame having' spaced bars, ahopper having' feed mechanism, gearing' for operating' the feedmechanism of the hopper including a clutch, and a clutch-operating'lever connected with the clutch and provided with an expansible armarranged between the said spaced bars and engaging the same for holdingthe lever against movement.

8. In a planter, the combination of a main frame, a hopper having feedmechanism, gearing' for operating the feed mechanism includingl aclutch, a clutch-operating lever ful crumed between its ends andprovided at one of its arms with expansible portions, a springinterposed between the expansible portions for forcing the same outwardfrom each other, and a stop arranged to be engaged by the expansibleportion of the lever.

9. In a planter, the combination of a main frame, a hopper having feedmechanism, gearing' for operating the feed mechanism of the hopperincluding' a clutch, a clutch-operating' lever fulcrumed between itsends and provided at one arm with a loop to receive the clutch, theother arm of the lever being composed of spaced expansible portions,andguiding' means receiving' the spaced expansible portions of the leverand having' a stop for engagement therewith.

lO. In a planter, the combination of a main frame having' central andside beams arranged in spaced relation, a bed-plate mounted on thecentral beams and having fastening devices extending between the sameand engaging the lower edges thereof, a hopper mounted on the bed-plate,and a seed-tube secured to the central beams and located beneath thehopper and provided with furrow-opening means.

ll. In a planter, the combination of a main frame, a bed-plate mountedon the mainframe, a superimposed hopper mounted on and spaced from thebed-plate and having feed mechan ism, and a seed-spout mounted on thebedplate in the space between the same and the hopper.

l2. In a planter, the combination of a main frame having' central andside beams, a bedplate mounted on the central beams, a super imposedhopper, posts mounted on the bedplate and supporting the hopper inspaced relation with the same, a seed-spout interposed between thehopper, and the bed-plate, and a seed-tube mounted on the main frame andlocated beneath the spout.

13. In a planter, the combination of a main frame, a bed-plate mountedon the main frame, a superimposed hopper arranged in spaced relationwith and mounted upon the bed-plate, feed disks or wheels located withinthe hopper, horizontal gears located beneath the hopper in the spacebetween the same and the bed plate and connected with the feed-disks, atransverse shaft arranged in the space between the hopper and thebed-plate and journaled in suitable bearings, pinions mounted on thetransverse shaft and meshing with the said gears, and means foroperating the transverse shaft.

14. In a planter, the combination of a frame, a hopper provided with abottom having a marg'inal iiange receiving the body portion of thehopper, interiorly-arranged plates secured to the body portion of thehopper and having horizontal projecting' portions, posts supporting' thehopper and located beneath the horizontal portions of the said plates,and fastening` devices piercing the said plates and the posts andsecuring the hopper to the posts and connecting the body and the bottomtogether.

l5. In a planter, the combination of a frame, a hopper having adetachable bottom provided with projecting' ears, front and rear platessecured to the front and rear walls of the hopper and having projectinghorizontal portions, the rear plates being' arranged above theprojecting' ears of the bottom, and the front plates being' locatedwithin the hopper, posts supporting the hopper and located beneath thesaid plates, and fastening devices piercing the plates and the posts andseem ing the hopper to the latter, and connecting the body and thebottom of the hopper.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARCUS IEARSON.

